Default Notice Advice

[Tonka777]

Hi Hexites, i hope this is the right place to post this.

I am after a little advice, but don't really want to join the MSE forums, as i think some hexites might know the answer.

I have had an egg card for a few years, and i am now in a position to pay off the last few quid and close the account. Now, 2 years or so ago they issued me with a default notice, but i didn't actually default, i am still making regular payments to egg. The account wasn't handed to another company or anything, and egg representatives agree that i didn't default. But, it took three or four phone calls, and lots of arguing to actually get the default notice removed from my credit record.

Before i pay off the last bit, i want to make absolutely sure that there is no default notice on my account, so i signed up to Experian and viewed my credit report. There is no mention of egg whatsoever. My current account and other credit card companies are listed, but there is no record of egg on my record.

So, my question is, is Experian the right place to use to check that this default notice has indeed been removed? Is there anyone i can contact to get this confirmed? Also, why might there be no mention of egg on my credit record, even though i still owe them money?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[chuckskull]

Experian is the right place yes, I've used them myself, always found them to be very accurate. They're big fans of forced continuity though, just make sure you've cancelled everything when you're done using the service or they will have you for 7 quid a month until you do. They should have the same information as any other creditor.

It seems odd there's no reference at all, but so long as there's no default notice, that's a good sign, I can only assume the record was removed/unavailable while it's being updated(I'm assuming you had it removed recently). If you had been given a default notice, you should have been sent a hard copy, Very clearly marked "Notice of Default". Although it doesn't always happen, admittedly. The way to check for sure would be an agency like Experian and if it doesn't show up there it won't show up for anyone else running a credit check either, If them and Egg both say it's removed I'd be pretty confident it has been.

[Tonka777]

Thanks Chuck, appreciate it.

It should have been removed a long time ago, 12 months+, but i was fully expecting to login to Experian and see it in my record still.

I think i'd better ring egg at some point and get them to check soon, just to be sure.

Cheers.

[Clockedtohell]

Tonka,

Just so you know the credit referencing agencies like experian and equifax use data fed by open agreement from companies such as Egg etc. The data is disclosed by the all companies to facilitate their risk analysis of you as a borrower. Now if this is your only default in the last few years don't worry. It won't actually effect you massively if at all. However it maybe that Egg is not feeding Experian at this point in time and using Equifax instead.

I can't remember how much Equifax charge to see your credit report, actually I just looked and it said it was free. Before phoning Egg see what they can reveal for you. If Equifax don't have a record either then you can pretty much be 100% sure it not recorded against your account.

All the best
CTH

Not the link put in here is to the us site and was provided automatically, you'll need the UK obviously http://www.equifax.co.uk

[Behemoth]

There's also another credit reference agency that will allow you to check your credit report for a modest £2 up front - http://www.callcredit.co.uk/ I sign post people to these guys quite often at work as you don't have to keep joining and cancelling your membership.

[Tonka777]

Thanks guys, i'll have a look at those other places this week at some point. Much appreciated.

[Tonka777]

Ok, i just tried Equifax, and they were a PITA. I had to ring them to answer some security questions, and then was told i need to photocopy my passport/driving license, or a bank statement, and upload it to their website! Not a chance! I did ask whether egg dealt with them, which the adviser confirmed, but i am not uploading my details somewhere to see my report, not when i was looking at my report within 10 minutes at experian, with no phone call,s and no uploading of sensitive data.

Trying call credit now!

edit; Call credit wont accept my card details, so i'll just contact egg and be done with it. It shouldn't be this much hassles to check my report, why are there 2+ companies holding this information, instead of one centralised report holding company?

[Ferral]

I've moved this over in General as it is more suited to the query asked rather than the tech bit of the board.

[Tonka777]

Thanks Mr New Admin Man!

[Barakka]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, only if you have an issue in the future... but by the sounds of it you have nothing on your credit score.

Chances are Egg were merely referring to marking your Egg account with them as Default, it would be unusual for them to mark your credit score so early in the process but the wording may have suggested otherwise.

Even if they were saying they had marked your credit score they may have been bluffing, many companies do as it gets you to call right away, then if you don't call within a week they go ahead - hell there's some companies out there that simply do not ever mark your credit score, no matter how much you owe or for how long

[Tonka777]

Spoke to Egg earlier and they could see no bad records on my account so i settled there and then. I'm free!

Thanks for all the advice Hexites.